


One Hell of a Ride

by anubislover



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Grand Line (One Piece), Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25043386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anubislover/pseuds/anubislover
Summary: It takes a lot more than a pretty face to lure Ikkaku away from her duties. However, when that pretty face comes attached to a hot, shirtless man with a sweet ride, well, who could blame her for being a bit reckless?
Relationships: Ikkaku & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Portgas D. Ace/Ikkaku
Comments: 23
Kudos: 27





	One Hell of a Ride

Growing up, Ikkaku’s grandfather had regaled her with wild stories about the Grand Line. Storms that came out of nowhere, monstrous sea beasts, mysterious islands, and, of course, pirates. He’d particularly relished telling the tales of Whitebeard—how he could shatter mountains with a blink, would start wars if you so much as looked at his sons, regularly kidnapped unsupervised children to add to his crew, and was tall enough to peer through the second-story windows of seaside cottages to ensure that curly-haired little girls were sound asleep in their beds and not reading mechanic manuals under the covers.

Looking up at the towering form of Edward Newgate himself, she decided that Gramps hadn’t been exaggerating that last part. And given the size of his crew, she was seriously starting to consider the kidnapping claims might have some truth to them, too.

If it were up to her, she wouldn’t even be on the deck of the _Moby Dick_ , however the Heart Pirates had found themselves crossing paths with the Whitebeard Pirates a month after entering the Grand Line. Marco the Phoenix, recognizing Law as both a fellow doctor and the user of the _Ope Ope no Mi_ , had requested that he give the Yonko a check-up since he was demanding a second opinion. For her part, Ikkaku was only brought along in case any of his medical equipment malfunctioned.

So, while Law _Scanned_ Whitebeard and discussed the man’s extensive medical history, the mechanic busied herself with watching the waves and fighting off boredom. A cheerful man named Thatch had made polite small talk, but the rest of the crew, while not hostile, seemed more interested in keeping an eye on her captain in case he decided to cause trouble. The Surgeon of Death had earned himself quite the reputation in the North Blue, and there were plenty of cocky upstarts like him who would try to make a name for themselves by attempting to assassinate Whitebeard. With Law’s powers, he could quite possibly do it, too. So she couldn’t blame them for being cautious.

Just as she started an internal debate with herself over whether she found the uniforms the nurses on board wore sexy or sexist, movement on the horizon caught her eye.

It started as a small dot with a thin white streak behind it, but it gradually grew larger the closer it got until Ikkaku could see that it was a small, extremely fast boat. Honestly, it was more like a surfboard with a sail than a raft, being long and nearly flat. Ordinarily, Ikkaku’s eyes would be glued to the attractive, shirtless man standing on it, but instead drawn to the flames at his feet and what appeared to be an engine of some kind behind him.

Gramps’ stories had definitely never described a boat like that.

“Looks like Ace is back,” Thatch said from beside her, noticing what had captured the young woman’s attention. He gave a knowing snigger. “I’d be happy to introduce you, if you’d like.”

Her eyes widened a bit at the name. She’d heard of Fire Fist Ace—a rookie that made a name for himself so quickly that he’d earned a bounty of 550,000,000 belli and turned down the offer of becoming a _Shichibukai_ within the first few years of his pirate career. Ikkaku was no pirate groupie, but she’d certainly noticed his wanted poster whenever they stopped at taverns and the like. Mainly because it was usually surrounded by ladies sighing wistfully. Not that she could blame them—he was a handsome man, and she’d yet to find a picture of him where he wasn’t shirtless.

Before she could properly answer, the man had pulled up beside the ship, all but vanishing behind the curvature of the Moby Dick’s broad hull. Ikkaku practically hung over the railing, trying to catch another glimpse of the boat and its sailor. Luckily Thatch was there to grab her by the back of her boiler suit, pulling her away just as Ace launched himself upwards in a bust of flame, vaulting over the rail and landing neatly on the spot she’d just vacated.

Seeing him up close, it was clear that the wanted posters didn’t do him justice. For starters, he looked like some kind of rugged model rather than a pirate. Wavy black hair framed his pale face, perfectly matching his obsidian eyes. The freckles that dotted his cheeks should have made him look childish, but instead they simply added a boyish charm to his grinning face. His shoulders were broad and muscular, supporting toned arms, one of which sported a rather interesting tattoo. Cargo shorts hung criminally low on his narrow hips, and if Ikkaku didn’t know better, she’d say he was sporting an eight-pack. He held himself with a natural confidence that bordered on cockiness, but given his bounty and reputation, it was probably justified.

Letting the awestruck mechanic go, Thatch strolled over to the man and gave him a hearty slap on the back. “Welcome home, Ace. You’re just in time to see Pops argue with trained medical professionals over his health again.”

“I’d hate to miss that,” he replied with a carefree grin, flicking up the brim of his orange cowboy hat. “It’s good to be home. And I see we’ve got some newbies,” he added, eyes landing on Ikkaku. He gave a polite bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to the family. What’s your name?”

Ikkaku’s jaw dropped, taken aback by his unexpected politeness and his assumption. “Huh? Oh, we’re not—”

“They’re just visitors,” Thatch said, winking at her. “For now. Wouldn’t be surprised if Pops decides to adopt them, though.”

“Yeah, once he’s made up his mind, you’re family,” Ace agreed with a cheerful laugh.

“Whether you like it or not,” Thatch added, elbowing him in the side, which only made him laugh harder. “You two have fun—I’ve got to go get dinner ready, especially since we’ve got so many _visitors_.”

The moment they were left alone, Ikkaku found herself once more looking over the side of the ship, wondering where the boat had gone. Was there a mooring station Ace had tied it to? A secret door in the hull?

“So, can I get that name?” Ace asked, raising an eyebrow pointedly as he leaned his hip against the railing.

A little embarrassed at her inadvertent rudeness, she quit her search and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. “Oh, yeah, sorry. It’s Ikkaku of the Heart Pirates,” she replied, holding out her hand to shake. Briefly, she considered bowing like he had, but it felt far too formal for her. Besides, Gramps had always told her that a handshake was the best way to get the measure of a man—test his grip strength, feel the callouses on his palm, see if he thinks he’s too good to touch common working folk.

Without hesitation, the pirate grasped her hand, shaking firmly as he looked directly into her eyes. “Pleasure to meet you, Ikkaku. I’m Portgas D. Ace.” His hand was warm and rough, the skin dry due to his flame powers. She could feel hard callouses on his palm and fingers, indicating that he put in his share of work and didn’t just laze about. And his grip was firm, but not crushing, matching hers equally. It was a good sign in her books—men had both tried to squeeze too hard as an intimidation tactic and held it too delicately because they underestimated her.

When he let go, he crossed his arms over his hard pectorals and leaned casually against the railing, though his eyes were keen and curious as they studied her. “So, what brings Ikkaku of the Heart Pirates into the company of the Whitebeard Pirates?”

She nodded her head towards Law, Marco, and Whitebeard, who appeared to be in deep discussion. “Marco asked my boss to give your captain a check-up.”

“Well, that explains what _he’s_ doing here, but what about you? You the Surgeon of Death’s bodyguard?” he teased.

The corner of her mouth curled upwards. It didn’t feel like he was mocking her strength or potential combat prowess. After all, while there wasn’t an overabundance of female pirates, those that made it to the Grand Line had to be tough as nails. His amusement was clearly at the very idea that a man like Law would need a bodyguard. “Scarier. His mechanic.”

From the way his eyes widened a bit, it was obvious that her answer caught him off-guard, but his grin never faltered. “Yeah? Don’t meet a lot of pirates that employ full-time mechanics.”

“That’s because you don’t meet a lot of pirates whose ship is a submarine.”

A hearty, self-deprecating laugh burst out of his chest at her bluntness. “Got me there! You’re definitely a first for me, and I’ve seen a lot on the Grand Line.”

“It’s certainly a crazy place, but I like what I’ve seen today,” she replied with a chuckle. For a fairly infamous pirate, Ace was surprisingly easy to talk to. He was casual but polite, friendly, and that grin of his could melt butter. It would be no hardship to stand around and flirt with him all day. Ikkaku bit her lip, though that didn’t stop the corners of her mouth from curling up into a coy little smile. _Should I ask? Or would that be too forward,_ she wondered, trying to figure out how best to get what she wanted. Should she just come out and say it, or should she butter him up first?

Seeing her expression, his grin morphed into a smirk, a flirtatious gleam in his eyes as they flickered down to the way her teeth worried her lip. “You look like you’ve got a question for me. No need to be shy—I don’t bite. Well, maybe if you ask me nicely.”

Ordinarily she’d counter that comment with one of her own, but she had far more pressing matters to address. “You got me. I’ve been dying to know; what was _that?_ ” she asked, pointing over the side of the ship to where she’d last seen the odd vehicle. “That boat you rode in on?”

“Oh, that’s _Striker_. It’s my personal raft,” Ace said, surprised at the unexpected change in topic. Not that he minded—it wasn’t often that a girl took interest in his boat. It filled him with an odd sense of pride that it was cool enough to catch the mechanic’s attention.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s beautiful,” she said sincerely.

That made his face light up a bit more. “You wanna take a closer look?”

Ace jumped back a few inches when Ikkaku eagerly leapt forward, hands clasped together and sparkles in her eyes at his offer. “Hell yes!”

XXX

He took her down into the belly of the ship where things like extra dinghies, weapons, carpentry supplies, and tools were kept. In the corner was a little workshop full of tools, nuts and bolts, assorted parts, and paint was kept. Next to it was Striker, the bottom still wet from the trip, but the yellow paint gleaming merrily in the overhead lights.

At Ace’s encouraging nod, Ikkaku dashed over, inspecting the boat from the sails to the bow before finally getting to the part she was really interested in. “Whoa. What kind of engine is this?” she asked, brushing her hands across the dark metal surface reverently.

“Uh, I don’t know the specifics or anything,” he admitted, looking a little embarrassed at his lack of knowledge regarding his own vehicle. “You’d have to ask Deuce—he’s the one who built it.”

The vibrant mechanic wasn’t dissuaded, though, simply peering at the propellers jutting out the sides. “I just might. How does it shoot flames like that? It must take a hell of a lot of fuel—not very practical for long trips, I imagine.” Her brow furrowed as she spoke, though; despite looking carefully, she couldn’t actually find anything resembling a fuel tank. Did it run on electricity, then, or some other power source?

“Actually, I’m the fuel,” he replied, raising his hand innocently but proud that he could answer at least one of her technical questions. “My _Mera Mera no Mi_ powers are what propels the ship—the engine just focuses them.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice. Here she thought she was going to learn some amazing secret about fuel efficiency or a new power source that she could implement into the _Tang’s_ engine. Yet as she further inspected the engine, the wheels in her head started turning, and she quickly got an idea. “You know, I could probably make a few modifications to the engine so it won’t drain you so much. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of stamina, but on long trips or in a fight, efficiency could be the difference between life and death.”

“Wait, seriously?” he asked, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “You know how to do that?”

“Well, I’d have to take it apart, see how it ticks, maybe look over the blueprints if you’ve got them handy, but from the look of things, yeah!”

His face stretched in a massive, eager grin as he fetched said blueprints from the workshop desk. “Then go for it!”

For the next two hours, Ikkaku worked on _Striker_ , examining the pieces, reworking the design, and rebuilding the entire engine from scratch. Dark, curly locks were pulled back in a messy ponytail to keep them out of her face, and some grease had splattered on her cheek, but she hardly cared. She was having too much fun, especially since she was basically given carte blanche to do whatever she needed to the engine.

Sitting on a barrel off to the side, watching the mechanic with open admiration, Ace said, “You sure know your stuff.”

“My job involves knowing the ins and outs of any engine I come across. I specialize in submarines, but I made sure to learn everything I could about mechanics as a whole. I can fix generators, medical equipment, and most other machines I come across,” she explained, replacing the propellers with newer models. Thankfully, the adjustments hadn’t been extensive—Ace’s own mechanic could probably figure out what she’d done, though she made extensive notes on the back of the blueprints just in case. She’d tried to explain to Ace what she was doing as she went, but he’d ended up staring at her blankly, and at one point he’d even fallen asleep. After she’d woken him up with a well-aimed screw, she’d let him dominate the conversation, filling the silence with the tale of how Masked Deuce had built it.

“Impressive.”

A faint tinge of pink rose to her cheeks at the compliment, though she doubted it was noticeable in the workshop’s light. “Honestly, I’m more impressed that your buddy was able to build even a prototype on a desert island. Most people couldn’t manage that.”

“Could you?”

She was torn between being modest and being honest. While she had total faith in her engineering skills, she knew that saying so could easily come across as arrogant. And, well, he’d seemed really proud of his friend while telling his story. She didn’t want him to think she considered such a thing child’s play. “I mean, probably, but that doesn’t make it any less of an accomplishment.” It was one hell of a feat, and she was loath to take that away from anyone.

He smiled at her answer, resting his cheek in his hand while he watched her work. “I’ll remember that if we ever get stranded on a desert island together.”

She raised an eyebrow, though a flirtatious lilt crept into her voice when she replied, “Expecting that to happen anytime soon?”

“Well, the Grand Line’s a crazy place—you never know what could happen. Better to be prepared, right?”

“Heh. Sure. Though, maybe I should be insulted; would you be that eager to escape? I can name a few guys who’d love to play castaway with a pretty lady like me,” she teased, winking over her shoulder.

She’d expected him to blush or try to backtrack. Instead, his smirk turned devious. “I never said we’d be escaping right away.”

This time her blush was obvious, and she turned back to her work, forcing herself to focus on properly screwing the protective metal plates back on instead of the inviting glint in his dark eyes. It wasn’t that she wasn’t used to men hitting on her—that happened often enough in bars and taverns, especially when she was wearing a short skirt and heels. But rarely did a guy take notice of her when she was on the job. Sure, she looked good in her boiler suit, but it still tended to ward away men. Mainly because of the grinning jolly roger stamped across the back, but the lack of skin helped.

It was…nice, to be honest. That someone like Ace was chatting her up while she was probably at her least sexy, and also being respectful to boot. No blatant comments about her ass and bust. No questioning her skills because she had a pretty face and lacked a Y-chromosome. Just playful banter and grins that bordered on naughty.

“So, how’d a girl with such a respectable skill set end up choosing a life of piracy?” Ace asked casually, linking his fingers behind his head as he leaned back.

“Didn’t have a lot of other options,” she admitted. “When you’re a woman trying to do what’s considered a man’s job, you’re either laughed at or seen as a threat. Law’s the first person who took me seriously and showed genuine respect for my skills. When he offered me a job, I didn’t even care that I was becoming a pirate—if you get an opportunity like that, you take it.”

“Heh. Makes sense. And your captain treats you well?”

“He’s a hardass and a grumpy bastard, but he cares about me and the crew,” she answered with a warm, adoring smile. Law wasn’t always the easiest guy to get along with, and to the untrained eye he was nothing but a rude asshole, but behind closed doors no one could say he didn’t care for each member of his _nakama_. “I couldn’t imagine following anyone else.”

“Not even Whitebeard?”

Surprised at the question, she stared at him over her shoulder, brow furrowed as she struggled to determine if he was joking or if she was about to get a recruitment speech.

He held up his hands placatingly, a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry. That came out a little strong, huh?”

“I’ve had drunken thugs at the docks proposition me more subtly,” she deadpanned, eyes narrowed in a glare. Briefly, she wondered if this had been Ace’s plan all along; act as a honey trap, get her alone with promises of getting to rebuild his engine, then seduce her away from her captain.

But he looked so thoroughly chastised that she instantly regretted even thinking he’d had ulterior motives. “Harsh, but fair. I really didn’t mean to imply anything. But I’m sure your captain will probably get an offer by dinnertime. Once Pops takes a liking to someone, nothing will stop him from adding them to his family. So, if that happens, would you join Whitebeard?”

Until now, such a thought had never crossed her mind. She respected Whitebeard as much as she feared him. He was powerful and there were some pretty terrifying stories about him, but there were also just as many tales singing his praises. Gramps had told both in equal measure, enjoying scaring her shitless as much as soothing her with the knowledge that the seas were home to a man like him. Even Law seemed to respect him, having found little reason to doubt his claims that he did, in fact, care for his “sons.” But respecting someone and serving under them were completely different beasts.

Finally, she said, “I go where Law goes, but he’s a stubborn control freak—hates taking orders from anyone. So, he might consider an alliance, but he’d never agree to be anyone’s subordinate, even if it’s prettied up with talk of family.” _Especially_ if it was prettied up like that; Ikkaku might not have known all the details of Law’s past, but she did know he’d been part of the Doflamingo Family. And given the pure hatred in his voice when he’d alluded to it, she had the feeling they’d soured his opinion on the word forever.

Undeterred, Ace replied, “Pops is pretty persuasive. I never thought I’d join him. Hell, I spent months trying to kill him!” The sunny smile returned to his face, cheeks practically straining as he continued, “But he won me over, and I’m confident he could do the same with your captain.”

Ikkaku highly doubted that. After all, Law had plans. Big ones that were slowly but surely falling into place. Not that having an ally like Whitebeard wouldn’t be extremely beneficial to them, but in the long run, Law preferred to be his own man.

Still, the pure faith Ace had in his voice made her wonder. Could Whitebeard convince Law to become his son? How, exactly, had he changed Ace’s mind considering how he’d apparently hated him enough for attempted murder?

Well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it. In the meantime, the final screw was securely in place, and _Striker_ was ready to go.

“There. All set!” she declared, stepping back and presenting the modified raft to her audience.

Black eyes widened as Ace leapt off the barrel, and his grin was excited and eager, like a child who’d been given a shiny new toy. “This is…this is incredible!” he exclaimed, inspecting her handywork. The engine was sleeker and less bulky than before, and while he was no mechanic, he could tell just by looking that she’d made it lighter, too, which would allow him to go faster.

“How about you take it for a test drive? Make sure it’s to your liking?” she said with a pleased grin as she wiped the sweat and grease off her forehead. Whether it was from her crew or a random stranger, Ikkaku did always love when her work was noticed and appreciated.

The bright smile practically split his freckled face at the suggestion, and he ran over to a lever on the wall. Upon being pulled, a small section of a side of the ship flipped open, becoming a ramp that allowed access to the outside world. Dragging the boat over, he eagerly hopped aboard. “Sounds great!” Yet, instead of immediately taking off, he held his hand out to her. “Come on! You fixed it up, so you should give it a whirl, too!”

Oh, that was tempting. _Striker_ did appear to be big enough for two people, but was it safe? Ace had plenty of experience zooming around the ocean, but she doubted she could maintain her balance as easily. That, and it was better to test it without unnecessary excess weight. Then again, test drives were naturally risky; if she’d screwed something up and there was a malfunction, Ace could potentially find himself dead in the water, and with that Devil Fruit of his, it was better to have a copilot who could swim.

The real question was where she was supposed to stand. If she stood behind him, she’d be between the flames coming off him and the engine. That would only result in flame-broiled mechanic. There was definitely no room on either side of him, and even if there were, the uneven weight distribution could throw off the balance.

That left only the bow of the narrow boat.

At her hesitation, his grin became more teasing and he wiggled his fingers invitingly. “Come on; we might find a nice desert island to get stranded on!”

A laugh bubbled up in her chest. If he wasn’t bothered by the lack of space on his boat, why should she? “Well, who could say no to an offer like that?” she quipped, taking his hand. Like with his handshake, his grip was sure, and Ikkaku had no doubt he’d hold onto her tightly and wouldn’t let her fall.

Ace tugged her aboard, letting her plant her feet securely before wrapping an arm around her waist, muscular forearm settling securely right beneath her bust. “I’d say hold on tight, but I think that’s my job, huh?” he chuckled in her ear.

The heat of his skin penetrated through the thick canvas of her boiler suit, most likely due to his powers. No wonder he walked around bare-chested. She’d initially chalked it up to vanity or a public service act. Though, she highly doubted he’d be wearing more clothes even if he couldn’t turn into flames.

“Ready?” he asked as her fingers gripped his wrist for support. It wouldn’t do for her to get weak in the knees, even if she could feel the rumble in his chest as he spoke and the heat of his breath against the shell of her ear.

If Portgas D. Ace _was_ a honey trap, he was a damn effective one.

At her affirmative nod they took off like a shot, bursting out the entryway and onto the surface of the water. Behind her, Ikkaku could hear the engine growl, flames crackle, and even steam hiss. For a moment, she worried about the wind blowing the flames at her feet against her ankles and her boiler suit catching fire, but it appeared Ace had total control over them, or at the very least enough to keep his companion from getting burned.

 _Striker_ was fast. She’d already known that from earlier, but her modifications seemed to have done the trick of speeding it up even more. She could feel the boat respond to every minor shift in its pilot’s weight, and she did her best to stay still so as to not throw off his steering. Not that she could really move around much anyway—the pressure from the wind, combined with the muscular arm around her waist, kept her pinned to his chest. Any other time she’d be wholly focused on the sensation of his chiseled torso and washboard abs against her back, but at the moment, she was more captivated by how exhilarating the feeling of the wind whipping against her face was and seeing the ocean around them speed by.

The hot, shirtless guy pressed up behind her was still noted and appreciated, though.

Despite the water spraying around them, not a drop of it touched their skin or clothing, most likely due to the intense heat produced by Ace’s flames. By the same token, any sweat that tried to coat her skin almost instantly evaporated. Law’s stern voice popped into her head informing her she should drink plenty of water when they got back to the ship lest she get dehydrated.

“Having fun?” Ace asked, interrupting her train of thought.

Turning her head to face him was too risky since she didn’t want to throw off the balance, so she simply exclaimed, “Hell yeah!”

“Good! Now brace yourself; I’m going to put this baby through its paces!”

Instead of wasting time asking what he meant, she did as he said, squaring her feet and bending her knees slightly in preparation for whatever he planned to do. She was not disappointed—with an extra burst of flame and a shift to his stance, _Striker_ shot into the air, forming a neat arch before landing back into the water. Next, he performed series of sharp turns, practically turning the boat on its side as he did so, but his grip on Ikkaku never faltered.

As they turned back to the _Moby Dick_ , Ace called out, “Do you trust me?”

“Yeah?”

“Good!”

Before she could ask him to elaborate or even brace herself again, he shifted his weight so the nose of the raft was suddenly pointed down, sending it beneath the choppy waves.

 _What the fuck is he doing?!_ Ikkaku mentally screamed, but all she could manage to do was let out a yelp as Ace hooked his free hand under her knees and leapt into the air, the flames at his feet shooting them high above the water in a wide arch. She heard him laugh as he performed a mid-air summersault, but she barely noticed; she was instead preparing herself for inevitably having to save his Devil Fruit ass and wondering if she’d be able to haul him to the _Moby Dick_ before they both drowned.

Her concerns were for naught, however, as _Striker_ popped up out of the water, and with practiced ease Ace stuck the landing.

After another minute of showing off daring tricks, Ace brought them back to the ship’s hold, _Striker_ skidding across the floor a few feet before coming to a complete stop.

Ace gave the woman in his arms a devil-may-care grin before gently lowering her to her feet. “Looks like your modifications worked,” he teased, taking in Ikkaku’s flushed cheeks and elated smile as she spun around excitedly to face him. Locks of her hair had escaped her ponytail, giving her a charmingly disheveled appearance.

“Th-that was amazing!” she cheered, adrenaline pumping through her veins. “I mean, I should kill you for taking such a stupid risk, but that was seriously just incredible!”

“Glad you had fun!” he laughed, adjusting his hat. “And I wouldn’t have dropped you—Pops would be pissed if I’d recklessly put a pretty lady in any real danger.”

Lightly, she smacked his arm. “I was more worried about you, dummy! If you’d missed, you’re the one who would have sunk like a stone,” she scolded, but his smile was so lighthearted it was hard to stay mad at him. “I’d feel guilty as hell, and I don’t need your captain going after me because I let one of his sons drown.”

His grin faded slightly, and he lowered his head so the brim of his hat cast his eyes in shadow. “I’m sure there’s more than a few people who’d be happy to hear about my demise.”

The shift in his mood was a surprise, but after a moment of processing exactly what he’d said, she declared, “Yeah? Well those people are morons. The world sucks but having guys like around makes it suck a bit less.”

Dark eyes widened and his head shot up at her words. “You seriously think that?”

She tilted her head a bit, pretending to think it over. “I mean, I’ve only known you a couple hours, sure, but you sure as hell wouldn’t make my list of ‘assholes that deserve to die’. Though, admittedly, it’s mostly Marines.”

His smile returned, a little more lopsided, while the corners of his eyes crinkled warmly. “Heh. Brains, beauty, and a heart. You’re one hell of a woman, Ikkaku.”

Pleased to see his happier demeanor return, she playfully poked him in the chest. “And don’t you forget it, Fire Fist.”

He caught her wrist, leaning forward to look in her eyes as he chuckled, “Doubt I could, Miss Mechanic. A girl like you really revs a guy’s engine.”

Before she could even scoff at such a lame line, they were interrupted by the sound of booted feet clomping noisily down the stairs.

“Ikkaku!” Bepo called, bursting into the cargo hold like the Devil himself was after him.

The two humans broke apart, Ace clearing his throat awkwardly as Ikkaku rushed over to calm down her furry crewmate. “Whoa there, Bepo. What’s wrong?”

Leaning on his knees and panting hard, the Mink stared at her with panic in his black button eyes. “Captain’s been looking everywhere for you! He _Scanned_ the ship, but you were nowhere to be found!”

Her stomach dropped. Right, she hadn’t told Law that she’d be with Fire Fist Ace, and they certainly hadn’t notified anybody that they were leaving the ship. Her captain must have been freaking out when he couldn’t locate her. “Shit. How mad is he?”

“He said if you weren’t found in the next ten minutes, he was going to start dissecting people. That was seven minutes ago.”

Brown eyes widened before she bolted for the stairs, knowing that was not an idle threat from the Surgeon of Death. More than that, Gramps’ stories had imparted a particularly vital piece of wisdom before she’d left home—do not get into a war with Whitebeard.

Nearly tripping as she ran out the door onto the deck, she desperately tried to catch her breath as she took in the sight before her; Law, with Kikoku halfway out of its sheath, was glaring at Vista and Izo while Thatch tried to calm everyone down.

“Look, the last I saw her, she was right here talking to Ace.”

“That was two hours ago! And considering how I couldn’t find _him_ anywhere either, that doesn’t ease my concerns!” Law snarled at him. From where she was standing, Ikkaku could see the veins in his neck starting to pop, and behind him Penguin, Shachi, and Uni had drawn their weapons. She could only assume the rest of the crew was searching both the _Tang_ and the _Moby Dick_ for her, hoping that their captain’s incredible powers had somehow simply missed their mechanic. Bepo had simply found her first thanks to his incredible nose.

“We understand your concern for your crewmate,” Marco said calmly from his place at Whitebeard’s side, “but you need to calm down-yoi.”

That simply provoked more of Law’s anger, and his blade flashed in the early evening sunlight. “I’ll calm down when I see for myself that you haven’t kidnapped my mechanic!”

“I’m here!” she wheezed when she could finally pull enough air into her lungs to speak, heart pounding not just from the exertion, but from fear—Whitebeard had braced his hands on the arms of his chair as if he were preparing to get up and settle things himself.

All at once, the men’s heads snapped towards her, a brief flash of relief crossing Law’s face before it once more became an angry scowl. “Where the hell have you been?” he snapped, putting the nodachi away as he stalked towards her. “I _Scanned_ the whole damn ship looking for you!” His face darkened as gold eyes swept across her disdainfully. “Really? I take my eyes off you and you run off for some new plaything? On an enemy ship of all places?” he asked spitefully.

She flinched. His tone was harsh, but she couldn’t blame him for yelling. Or the unspoken accusation. Her windswept hair, flushed cheeks, and mussed clothing surely gave the appearance that she’d been engaged in a roll in the hay instead of taking a joyride. Though, neither was really a good enough excuse for her to have left her post, especially without notifying him. And even if Whitebeard wasn’t the enemy, per say, they weren’t friends, and she’d taken a colossal risk blindly trusting Ace as she had. “Law, I swear—”

“It’s my fault,” Ace cut in from behind her, giving the surgeon a deep, apologetic bow. “When I found out she was a mechanic, I asked her to modify the engine to my raft. When she was done, I requested that she take a ride with me to test it out. I hadn’t realized I was stealing her away from her duties, nor that we’d be gone long enough for anyone to worry. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused.”

Law’s face twisted, looking like he wanted to rip Ace’s head off for said trouble, but at the same time holding himself back because, with his fear regarding his subordinate’s safety fading, logic was returning to his mind, reminding him that he was on a Yonko’s ship, surrounded by his crew, and that Fire Fist Ace would be a powerful opponent in his own right.

He glanced at Bepo for confirmation, who nodded, apparently confirming the story—the Mink’s nose could surely smell the salt and smoke that clung to their clothes, along with the absence of more damning scents.

“…fine. Apology accepted. Ikkaku, you’ve got cleaning duty for the next month for running off without notifying anyone. Like an _idiot_ ,” he hissed, clearly still mad at her irresponsible behavior.

She nodded mutely, accepting the punishment without argument. It was honestly a far lighter punishment than she probably deserved considering how she had done a seriously stupid thing. But at least Law wasn’t about to do an even stupider thing by attacking Whitebeard and his sons.

Her throat closed up a little at that thought. Her recklessness could have gotten Law and her crew killed. Normally, her captain was a clinical, cold man who didn’t rush into situations without a plan, but when it came to the people he cared about—like his _nakama_ —he could turn into a hot-blooded fool. What had she been thinking, selfishly running off like she had?

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a warm hand against the middle of her back. Ikkaku turned to find Ace frowning at her in concern, his eyes flickering between her and her captain’s retreating form. She gave him a tight, reassuring smile, but from the look on his face, he was far from mollified.

The tension that filled the air was broken as Whitebeard pointedly cleared his throat. “Well, now that the girl’s present and accounted for, we should have dinner,” the Yonko said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I could sure as hell use a drink after all this excitement.”

“Didn’t I _just_ tell you to go easy on the alcohol?” Law groused, turning to the massive captain in exasperation. “I literally showed you how messed up your liver is!”

A few of the men turned green, and Ikkaku was certain he didn’t mean an x-ray.

Whitebeard, however, just scoffed. “Look, you gave your diagnosis, but _I’ll_ decide if it’s a good enough reason to stop drinking. You’re a hundred years too young to tell me what to do.”

Beside him, Marco sighed and gave Law a commiserating look that clearly said “this is what I deal with on a daily basis”.

“Man, I think I can actually _hear_ Law’s blood pressure rising,” Penguin muttered, to which Shachi nodded emphatically.

Pinching his brow in the faint hope of stemming the headache that was clearly forming, Law growled, “Fine. Don’t listen to the man who can literally take out your organs and juggle them. It’s not like you’ve wasted two hours of my life.”

“Maybe I’d listen to you if you agreed to become my son,” Whitebeard chuckled, a devious grin on his face as he looked down at the young doctor.

All the Heart Pirates froze. After Law’s fairly violent threats against the Yonko, the last thing any of them had expected was for an offer to join the crew.

Law recovered the quickest, scoffing. “Hard pass. Maybe I’d consider an alliance, but I’ve got no interest in joining your ‘family’ old man. Besides, at the rate you’re going, you’ll be dead soon enough, so what’s the point?”

 _Damn, Law, I know you’re pissed, but couldn’t you have sugar-coated that just a little?_ Ikkaku thought, wincing.

Whitebeard, however, merely smirked harder at the blunt refusal and instead turned towards the woman who’d caused such a commotion on his ship. “What about you then, girly? Maybe you’d like to join up? Becoming my daughter would get you out of cleaning duty,” he said with a chuckle.

Ikkaku’s jaw dropped, as did Law’s, Shachi’s, Penguin’s, Bepo’s, and the smattering of other Heart Pirates that had started to return from their search.

“I—you—wha—” she replied rather inelegantly, not quite sure if she should be taking it as a joke or running for the safety of her precious submarine.

Ace, however, seemed thrilled, slinging his arm around her shoulders. “Fantastic idea, Pops! Seriously, she’s an amazing mechanic; completely rebuilt _Striker’s_ engine and made it better than ever!” he said enthusiastically. Turning to the woman in question, he gave her a brilliant grin. “How about it, Ikkaku? Leave your hardass, grumpy bastard of a captain and come join the Whitebeard Pirates!”

“You’re not taking her,” Law growled, hand once more going to Kikoku’s hilt.

The younger man flashed him a challenging smirk, the tips of his fingers turning into flame. “I’d like to see you try and stop me.”

Another growl sounded out, this time from behind them. The pair turned to find Bepo with his teeth bared, fists clenched and ready to fight. “Captain’s right; you’re not taking her.”

Ikkaku was torn between cheering the Mink on for standing up to someone and screaming at both him and Law for taking such a stupid risk. Clearly, their captain wasn’t the only hot-headed idiot when it came to protecting his crew. In fact, she was positive Penguin, Shachi, and the rest of the Hearts were already drawing their weapons. _The whole crew is full of idiots!_ she thought, desperately trying to come up with a way to stop a massacre from breaking out. Apparently, it was up to her to be the smart, responsible one for once.

Finally, she grabbed Ace’s wrist and lifted it off her shoulder. “Here’s an idea; how about everyone stops acting like macho idiots so I can actually give an answer?”

Ace blinked in surprise before giving her a warm smile. “Heh. Sorry about that. Guess we got a little carried away, huh?” he replied, rubbing the back of his head.

“Bit of an understatement,” she replied dryly, though it was hard not to return his smile. He was just so charming without even trying; if Whitebeard really wanted daughters, Ace could probably recruit a whole army of them with just a wink and a grin.

Encouraged by her expression, he said, “So, can we get that answer? I promise you won’t regret joining us; Pops is going to become the King of the Pirates, after all,” he stated proudly.

At that, Ikkaku glanced at Law and saw his jaw had tightened to the point where she could see the veins underneath pulse in irritation. Man, Ace had only known Law for about fifteen minutes and he’d already managed to push nearly half a dozen of his buttons.

Turning back to the fiery pirate, Ikkaku gave him a warm, sincere smile. “Don’t get me wrong; you’re sweet. And you’re cute. And you took me on one hell of a ride,” she added with a wink, pleased when she saw Ace flush and heard Law’s teeth grind behind her. Before either of them could get the wrong idea, though, she cocked her hip and jerked her thumb towards her captain, pure confidence in her voice. “But I’ve already got a boss, and _he’s_ the guy who’s going to be the next King of the Pirates.”

There was a moment of silence, and Ikkaku’s heart stopped briefly as she waited for the inevitable fallout. Ok, maybe her plan sounded less idiotic in her head. Had she really just sassed one of Whitebeard’s sons? Had she really just said, in front of Whitebeard, that some young upstart was going to become the Pirate King instead of him?

Gramps was going to be so ticked when he found out she’d died because she’d ignored his advice.

“ _Gurararara!_ ” Whitebeard laughed, breaking the tension. His head was thrown back, and his chest shook so hard it was a wonder he didn’t knock his chair over. “Damn, boy! Your mechanic has guts!” There was a pause as he had a brief coughing fit from the exertion, though it failed to erase the grin from his mustached face. “Loyal, too.”

“Yeah. She is at that. My whole crew seems to consist of loyal, reckless idiots,” Law stated, relaxing a bit. He slung his sword over his shoulder and gave the gaping Ace a smug smirk. “Especially her. She might get briefly distracted by a new _plaything_ ,” he said, emphasizing the word scathingly as he gently grabbed Ikkaku’s arm and pulled her to his side, “but she always comes back to where she belongs.”

Ace glared at Law, but Whitebeard just continued to laugh. “My sons are much the same,” he said fondly, grinning at his men who seemed torn between defending their Pops’ honor and laughing along with him at the sheer audacity of these rookies. “Makes me think you’d fit right in. So, I’ll ask you, and the rest of your crew, again; become my sons and daughters.”

“Sorry,” Law said, his natural cockiness returning. “Still gonna have to refuse. I don’t take orders from others. More importantly, joining you would mean I couldn’t be Pirate King, and that would mean letting my gutsy mechanic down.” To emphasize his point, Law gave her head a little pat.

At last Whitebeard stood up from his seat, though instead of starting a fight, he grinned down at Law and the Hearts. “Heh. Guess I can respect that. Plus, I don’t need you and Marco squawking at me about my drinking. But the offer’s on the table if you change your mind. In fact, if we meet again, don’t think you’ll get off so easily. Now, can we hurry up and have dinner already? Might as well send you upstarts off with a full stomach as thanks for the entertainment. And I need sake.”

Rolling his eyes at his continued disregard for diagnosis but nodding in agreement, Law motioned for Whitebeard to lead the way. Cocky as he was, he knew he’d already been ridiculously lucky enough to avoid at least three fights with the Whitebeard Pirates and was not willing to chance a fourth.

As the majority of the Whitebeard and Heart Pirates, hungry after all the excitement, cleared the deck, Law hung back with Ikkaku.

“Your cleaning punishment’s cut down to two weeks,” he mumbled, trying very hard to hide a fond smile, “though I should really give you more for nearly starting a war with Whitebeard.”

“Then you’d be cleaning the deck with me, Captain,” she said sweetly, grinning like the cat who ate the canary. “I mean, clearly I was only following your example.”

“Smartass,” he replied with a chuckle, giving her head another pat before walking off, motioning for Bepo to follow him. “Get lured away again and I’m leaving you behind. You’ll be Whitebeard’s problem.”

“Whatever you say, Boss,” she laughed, knowing it was an empty threat. She paused as she felt a familiar heat against her back and looked up over her shoulder at Ace.

“Your boss is a real asshole, isn’t he?” he said, eyebrow raised critically, a look of disdain on his handsome face.

Her responding smile was full of fond exasperation. “Yeah, but he’s _my_ asshole boss. And you may be able to rev my engine,” she teased, pleased to see him blush a little, “but I’m not so easily swayed by a pretty face, even if it does come with a sweet ride.”

He laughed easily at that, just as she’d hoped. “Just so you know, my offer stands, too,” Ace said warmly, friendly grin returning. “I’d love to have a mechanic like you around, and Pops is the greatest pirate in the world. You’d be treated well here.” Despite his words, his eyes held nothing but acceptance, already anticipating her answer.

“I don’t doubt that,” she said, nudging him lightly as they headed towards the dining hall, “but I’m as loyal to Law as you are to Whitebeard.”

“So, no chance I could change your mind, huh?” he said, smile becoming a bit melancholy.

Raising an eyebrow and looping her arm through his, she gave him a saucy grin. “Tell you what; if we ever get stranded on that desert island together, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to convince me.”

That brought the heat back into his smirk, and the red of the setting sun nearly hid the rosiness across his freckled cheeks. “It’s a date.”

**Author's Note:**

> Complete crack, I know, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head, lol. Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it!


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